Final answer:
The contraction of 'picture' and 'element' is 'pixel', which is also the correct answer to the student's question. Pixels are the colored dots that make up the images we see on digital displays.
Step-by-step explanation:
The contraction of the terms 'picture' and 'element' forms the word pixel, which is a tiny unit of illumination on a digital display screen that constitutes part of an image. The correct answer to the question is option 1) Pixel. Pixels are the basic building blocks of digital images and screens like those in LCD televisions, smartphones, and computer monitors. These tiny dots of color, when combined, create the images we see. Higher resolution means more pixels are used, leading to a clearer and more detailed picture.
Compression affects the file size and can alter image quality when set too high. Additionally, contrast is about the difference between light and dark areas in an image, which can be manipulated in LCD screens by changing the voltage applied to the liquid crystals.